Dual-height wader

Abstract

Disclosed is a wader for use in fishing and other activities having a body portion covering the lower body (including the legs, feet, hips, and waist of the wearer), and a chest portion normally folded inside the body portion but extendable upward about the chest, but not the shoulders of the wearer. The chest portion is preferably held about the chest by a drawstring, such as an elastic drawstring, and is advantageously biased into the lowered position inside the body portion by mans of a seam joining the two portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A waterproof wader system, adjustable as to provide varying degrees of user body protection, comprising: a first portion comprising a waist-high wader; and   a second extendable chest protective portion connected to said first portion, said second portion adapted to be worn in both a first lowered position folded inside said first portion and a second extended position extending upwardly from said first first portion over a user's upper chest area.   
     
     
       2. A waterproof wader garment, comprising: a body portion for covering the feet, legs and waist of a wearer;   a chest portion, wherein said body portion is joined to said chest portion in a waterproof manner, and said chest portion is adapted to both hang downwardly in a lowered position inside said body portion and to extend upwardly from said body portion over a wearer's chest area .[.in raised position.].; and   a means for securing said chest portion in said raised position without extending said securing means over the shoulders of a wearer.   
     
     
       3. The wader of claim 2, wherein said securing means comprises a drawstring at the top of said chest portion that encircles a wearers chest under the armpits. 
     
     
       4. The wader of claim 3, wherein said drawstring is elastic. 
     
     
       5. The wader of claim 3, wherein said wader is made of foam neoprene and wherein the neoprene of said body portion is thicker than that of said chest portion. 
     
     
       6. The wader of claim 3, further comprising means normally biasing said chest portion into said lowered position. 
     
     
       7. The wader of claim 6, wherein said biasing means comprises a seam joining said chest portion to said body portion, wherein the material of which said wader is made reverses direction at said seam, thereby biasing said chest portion into said lowered position. 
     
     
       8. A waterproof wader garment, comprising: a body portion for covering the feet, legs and waist of a wearer; and   a chest portion made of material thinner than that of said body portion, wherein said body portion is joined to said chest portion in a waterproof manner, and said chest portion is adapted to both hang downwardly in a lowered position inside said body portion and to extend upwardly from said body portion over a wearer's chest area in a raised position.   
     
     
       9. The wader of claim 8, wherein said wader is made of waterproof material. 
     
     
       10. The wader of claim 9, wherein said waterproof material comprises foam neoprene. 
     
     
       11. The wader system of claim 9, wherein said neoprene is a lined neoprene. 
     
     
       12. The wader system of claim 11, wherein said lined neoprene is nylon-lined neoprene. 
     
     
       13. The wader system of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of said waterproof material is air-permeable. 
     
     
       14. The wader of claim 8, further comprising means for securing said chest portion in said raised position around the chest of a wearer. 
     
     
       15. The wader of claim 14, wherein said securing means comprises a drawstring extending around said chest portion. 
     
     
       16. The wader of claim 8, wherein said body portion includes a pair of boots attached to the remainder of said body portion in a waterproof manner. 
     
     
       17. The wader of claim 8, wherein said wader further comprises means for holding said wader up when said chest portion is in the lowered position. 
     
     
       18. The wader of claim 17, wherein said holding means comprises a belt. 
     
     
       19. The wader of claim 18, wherein said belt is held to said wader by belt loops. 
     
     
       20. A waterproof wader garment, comprising: a body portion for covering the feet, legs and waist of a wearer; and   a chest portion, wherein said body portion is joined to said chest portion in a waterproof manner, and said chest portion is adapted to both hang downwardly in a lowered position inside said body portion and to extend upwardly from said body portion over a wearer's chest area in a raised position, wherein said chest portion is joined to the body portion by a seam in such a manner that the chest portion is biased downwardly by said seam into the inside of said body portion. .Iadd.   
     
     
       21.  The wader of claim 18, wherein the second portion folds down and around the waist of said wearer, but remains above the belt of the first portion when said second portion is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       22.  The wader of claim 18, wherein the upper portion folds down and around the waist of said wearer, but remains adjacent the belt of the first portion when said upper portion is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       23.  A waterproof wader system, adjustable as to provide varying degrees of wearer body protection, comprising: a first portion comprising a waist-high wader having a waist portion and a leg portion; and   a second extendable chest protective portion connected to said first portion, said second portion adapted to be worn in both a first lowered position folded around said wearer's waist, and a second extended position extending upwardly from said first portion over wearer's upper chest area. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       24.  The wader of claim 23, further comprising means for holding the first portion up when the second portion is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The wader of claim 24, wherein the means for holding the first portion up comprises a belt secured to an upper region of the first portion so as to hold said upper region against the wearer's body and thereby support the first portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The wader of claim 25, wherein the second portion folds down and around the waist of said wearer, but remains adjacent the belt of the first portion when said second portion is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The wader of claim 24, further comprising a drawstring disposed inside said second portion so as to encircle the wearer's chest under the armpits for securing said second portion in the second extended position without extending said drawstring over the shoulders of the wearer. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.28.  The wader of claim 27, wherein the first portion is thicker 
     
     
        than the second portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.  The wader of claim 25, wherein the second portion folds down and around the waist of said wearer, but remains above the belt of the first portion when said second portion 
     
     
        is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30.  A water proof wader garment, comprising: a body portion for covering the feet, legs and waist of a wearer;   a chest portion, wherein said body portion is joined to said chest portion in a waterproof manner, and said chest portion is adapted to both fold downwardly in a lowered position around said wearer's waist, and to extend upwardly from said body portion over a wearer's chest area in a raised position; and   a means for securing said chest portion in said raised position without extending said securing means over the shoulders of a wearer. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.31.  The wader of claim 30, further comprising: means for holding the body portion up when the chest portion is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. The wader of claim 31, wherein the means for holding the body portion up comprises a belt secured to an upper region of the body portion so as to hold said upper region against the wearer's body and thereby support the body portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. The wader of claim 32, wherein the upper portion folds down and around the waist of said wearer, but remains adjacent the belt of the first portion   
     
     
        when said upper portion is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The wader of claim 32, wherein the second portion folds down and around the waist of said wearer, but remains above the belt of the first portion 
     
     
        when said second portion is in the lowered position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. A waterproof wader garment, comprising: a body portion for covering the feet, legs and waist of a wearer; and   a chest portion made of material thinner than that of said body portion, wherein said body portion is joined to said chest portion in a waterproof manner, and said chest portion is adapted to both fold downwardly in a lowered position around said wearer's waist, and to extend upwardly from said body portion over a wearer's chest area in a raised position. .Iaddend.